When their schedules don't align for Adrien and Marinette to work on their group project together, Adrien gets permission to allow Marinette to accompany him to his next photo shoot. It's the perfect arrangement. But he forgot that Lila will also be there. And wherever Lila goes, trouble is sure to follow.
"What happened to your arm?"
Adrien flinched as he raised his head. Gabriel Agreste loomed above him, the designer's face etched into a furious glower of white-hot rage as he hissed out the question in a nearly silent whisper, yet the words still struck Adrien as if they had been shouted. Heads would roll, he was certain. He just hoped they didn't belong to anyone he cared about.
"I asked you a question, Adrien," his father said, his voice remaining low and dangerous.
Adrien gulped. "The uh... the set... uh... fell."
"Fell." It wasn't a question.
Adrien nodded and pointed with his good arm. Gabriel turned to follow his line of sight and his eyes settled upon the collapsed ruins of what used to be the backdrop and props for the latest photo shoot. Dozens of workers swarmed the area, but it was just Adrien's luck that the main beam holding everything together had almost landed upon him, injuring his shoulder. A shoulder which he now nursed in a white bandaged sling.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he turned back to Adrien. "Explain."
Oh boy. He thought back to how it all began.
Ms. Bustier had announced a new group project, encompassing different aspects of Ancient Greece. He had been paired with Marinette (much to Lila's vocal displeasure), and the two had been assigned to research fashion. Perfect.
He even managed to get Nathalie to sweet-talk his father into agreeing to allow Marinette on the set of his next photo shoot, since that was the only time the two of them could work together. It had taken some pleading and puppy-dog eyes, but Nathalie had caved at last and assured him she would speak to his father.
He knew his father didn't stand a chance against Nathalie.
So, a couple of days later Marinette joined him on the set. Lila, once she discovered Marinette's presence, scowled and sulked in the corner for most of the shoot. Every time she attempted to speak with Adrien, Nathalie popped up from some unknown shadow and shooed her away, claiming the two didn't need further distractions while working.
Adrien was starting to think Nathalie might not like Lila very much.
They worked together all day, with Marinette buried in her sketchbook, pencil tapping against her lip (in the most adorable manner, but he wouldn't dare tell her that) while he posed for pictures, and then she would share her results when he got through. He would suggest changes and give his ideas, and she would scribble away while he went to another backdrop. Occasionally, he would catch Lila glaring at Marinette, but the girl in question never noticed.
It wasn't until after lunch that things turned sour.
He hadn't realized something was wrong until it was too late. Until Marinette shoved him out of the way, saving his life. Until he pulled her toward him when she froze. Until the massive beam smashed right where they both had been standing seconds earlier.
Until his father loomed over him, furious and worried.
Gabriel's face remained stoic as Adrien finished his story. "And so that's how I hurt my shoulder."
The heavy weight of judgment settled upon him as his father studied him in silence.
"Mr. Agreste, it was awful," the saccharine simpering of a familiar voice caused Adrien's lip to curl with displeasure.
